The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-31
THE MOSQUITO.
A CHAPTER ON THE GREAT
WARM WEATHER PEST.
The Proces ses by Which the Mos
quito AItains Development
The Female Mosquito
Does the Most Biting

In grace and elegance of architectural
construction, as well as in variety and
gorgcousness of raiment, the male mos
quito far surpasses the female, says St..
Louis Globe writer. The male also enjoys
privileges and prerogatives to which the
female never can aspire--certainly can
never gain. In every essential particu-
lar she has to make her own and the
famly's living without the slightest aid
from him. Such food as he requires for
himself, which is neither large in
quantity nor varied in quality, he picks
up. Beyond that he does little except to
display his charms and enjoy life. 1t is
the female of the mosquito family with
which the human species comes in most
ultimate contact. The female does by
far the greater part of the biting done by
the family, and the warblings of the mos
quito are those of the female mosquito
alone.
The mosquito first appears in the form
an egg. The eggs are deposited in the
water by the mother mosquito. Before
doing this she crosses her hind legs in
the shapeof letter Y. AS the eggs are
dropped they are caught by the crossed
legs, the glutinous substance attaching
to the legs holding them together. The
number of eggs laid by one female be-
fore rising is very great. These eggs are
arranged in the form of raft and left to
ride on the watcr-sha low, stagnant
flesh water usually being selected. By
the additions made to the number of
eggs the raft is converted into sort Of a
beat, and when the laying process is all
completed, the boat consists of from 300
10 $50 e~cs. This is the first stage in
the existence of the embryo mosquito.
After the last egg is laid and the boat
comp leted, the mothers function, so far.
at least, as regards this particular brood,
ends, and the eggs are left to shift for
themselves.
A few days after the egg boat is
launched the larvae appear. These are Of
an elongated, wo:m-likc form, and come
cut of the lower end of the eggs, leaving
the empty shell forming tic boat lying
on the surface of the water. The shells
are soon DESTROYED by the action of the
wind and water When the Larvae
appear the eggs are hatched. Most
country readers IF this altit lie have seen
these Larvae in immense numbers on the
surface of stagnant water during the
warm months. They are valgarly called
"wigglcrs." Suspended from the sur
face of the water, with head downward,
they are enabled to breathe by means of
a sort of tube communicating with the
trachca. The appearance of the larvae
may be said to complete the second stage
in tie existence of the mosquito.
From ten to fifteen days after the ap-
pearance of the larvn. that substance en-
tiers the pupe. They take on thin skin,
almost completely covering the larva, and
roll around in the water their motions
being directed by fin-like contrivancc
at rha end of the tail. The quick, SEEM
incly irregular movements of the pupG
give them the name of 'tumblers. They,
too, are familiar to persons residing IN
the rural districts in the spring and sum-
mer. The change of the larvp into the
pupe completes the third stage in the
mosquitoes existence.
Between five and ten days alter the
pure appears the last and most critical
stage in the entire metamorphosis of the
egg into the perfect insect arrives. About
this reriod the pupa skin bursts open,
and the mosquito takes its first look at
daylight. The pura shell is in the form
of II boat, the opening appearing on the
surface of the shell which is farthcst
from the water. The insect rises slowly
and deliberately until it at length bal
anccs itself on its tail. A small gust OF
wind now or slight eddy and the she'll
boat would tip over, when the mosquitoes
active existence would end before it
began.
If the gust of wind or eddy fail to ap-
pear, the inst ct slowly eXtricates its front
pair of legs and rlaccs them on the sur
face of tie va er, still clinging to its
shell boat. Then it as slowly and de-
liberatcly spreads its wings. They at first
strike the water. but arc raised above 1t
again, and the sun-for these affairs in
variably take place on sunny days-and air
dry them. The hind legs are then slowly
drawn from the shell until their ends
rest on the edge of the boat, the body is
stretched out, the winds expanded. A
moment afterward the wings flap, the
shell is tirped over, the head is turned
shorcward and the mosquito is ready for
business.